April Fools
by Preussenlied
Summary: Gray desperately tries to understand why Juvia is acting so cold to him all of the sudden. Gruvia fluff


**It's a day late, but better late than never. Especially when I got the idea for this at 11:30 last night. Enjoy! Let me know what you think!**

* * *

Gray walked into Fairy Tail and immediately sensed something was off, but he couldn't quite place what it was.

Cana was sitting atop one of the tables and drinking from a large barrel. Gajeel was sitting with team Shadow Gear, but acting as though he would rather be anywhere else, even though he was sitting rather close to the blunette. Natsu was stuffing his face while Lucy rolled her eyes. Elfman was yelling about manly things. Vijeeter was showing off a new dance. Nothing was out of the ordinary. Gray took a few more steps and immediately stopped.

 _That's_ what it is.

He actually managed to get a few steps into the guild hall without being tackled by a blue haired water mage. Where _is_ Juvia, by the way? Gray looked around, and eventually found her sitting at the bar and talking to Mira, who was cleaning a few of the mugs. He wasn't sure why, but he found himself walking to the bar and standing next to where Juvia sat and ordered a drink from Mira before turning to the other woman.

"Hey, Juvia," he said, but she cast a brief, sideways glance at him before picking up her glass and taking a drink.

"Hello, Gray," she said lowly. Gray blinked. That's it? A simple hello?

"How're you today?" he tried.

"Juvia is well, thank you." _What the hell?_ Gray thought. He opened his mouth to speak again, but was interrupted.

"Hey, Rain Woman, are ya comin'?" came the rough voice of Gajeel. Both turned to see him, arms crossed over his chest.

"Yes! Juvia's coming!" Juvia said, finishing off her drink quickly.

"Where are you going?" Gray asked.

"Juvia and Gajeel are taking a quick job," she said, then left. She _left_. Just like that. No ' _Juvia will miss you, my love!_ ' or ' _Gray, darling, won't you please join us?_ ' or even a kiss blown at him. Nothing. He watched with wide eyes as she and the iron dragon slayer left the guild hall, then turned back to Mira.

"Mira, what kind of job did they take?" he asked. She smiled sweetly at him.

"Just a simple security mission. It shouldn't take more than a few hours."

"Any reason why?"

"Juvia was telling me that she and Gajeel were doing it for old times sake. I think it's sweet, the two of them catching up like that," she said happily as she continued to clean glasses.

"So… nothing else?"

"Not that I know of." That didn't help him at all. If it were just for her and Gajeel to hang out, why would she be acting so cold to him? Unless…

"It's not Christmas, is it?" he asked, and Mira laughed.

"No. You've got a _long_ ways to go," she said.

"Valentine's Day?"

"That's an even longer while away." That's right. He distinctly remembers having bought Juvia a box of chocolates a few months ago just to avoid her getting upset over getting nothing at all. He had Lucy to thank for reminding him about such a ridiculous day.

But if it wasn't a holiday, nor their 'anniversary,' then what the hell could it be?

"You're wondering why Juvia was acting strange towards you, aren't you?" Mira asked and Gray nodded with a sigh. "Well, she didn't say anything to me. Maybe ask Gajeel when they return? Or just go straight to her?"

"Yeah, I was considering that, but I don't know. You said they should be back in a few hours, right?" The white haired mage nodded, that sweet smile ever present. Gray sighed and picked up his mug, then went to join Erza, Natsu, and Lucy. He decided not to let it bother him.

But, of course, for the next eight and a half hours, it was the only thing on his mind.

 _Mira said a few hours. Where the hell are they?_

He wasn't exactly _worried_ about them, as he knew they were both once S-class and are very capable of handling themselves, but he just needed to know what the hell was up with Juvia. The sun was already set and Gray was getting tired of waiting. As though the world heard his wish, the doors to the guild hall opened and in stepped the two former Phantom Lord members.

"Juvia said she was sorry, Gajeel!"

"You nearly blew the whole mission, woman!" Gajeel shouted as they walked in.

" _You_ told Juvia to flood the route, remember?"

"Yeah, but… in a better way than that!"

"Gajeel, Juvia doesn't think there are many different ways to flood something…"

"Whatever! It's over now."

"It is, so why are you still so angry?"

"Can it, woman!"

"Juvia's so sorry! Please forgive her!" Juvia cried, throwing her arms around the dragon slayer. Gajeel rolled his eyes, but placed a hand on her head.

"It's fine. Just…" he looked up and saw a few pairs of eyes on them, then quickly detached the water mage from his body. "It's fine," he said more gruffly, then walked to the bar. Juvia smiled at him, then looked around a little, as if trying to figure out where she should go. Again, she did not single him out and jump on him, telling him how much she dreaded not having him by her side.

"Hey, Juvia! Over here!" Natsu shouted with a bright grin, waving his hand in the air.

"Natsu," she said as she came to the table, smiling as she took a seat. "How are you today?"

"Not too bad," Natsu said as he took another bite of meat. Has he been eating all day?

"How was the quest, Juvia?" Gray asked. Juvia's demeanor changed suddenly and regarded him with an indifferent expression.

"It was fine," she said simply, then turned to talk to Lucy.

 _Seriously?_ Gray thought. He narrowed his eyes at her, then looked to the bar and stood. He was about to do something he _really_ didn't want to do, but he supposed had no other choice.

"I'm going to get another drink," he murmured to no one in particular as he walked to the bar. When he took his seat next to Gajeel, he swore he could _feel_ the dark aura surrounding the dragon slayer.

"What do you want, stripper?" he growled, lifting his mug to his mouth. Levy and the rest of team Shadow Gear had gone out on a quest of their own, so perhaps that added to his usual grumpy mood.

"I was just wondering if you knew what's wrong with Juvia," Gray said in a tone that showed he didn't want to have this conversation, either. Gajeel looked at him from the corner of his eye with a raised brow. Or… bolts.

"She seems fine to me," he said.

"I mean, mostly, yeah, but she's… God, this is gonna make me sound like an asshole, but she's not jumping all over me or anything. In fact, she's barely even _looking_ at me. When I talk to her, she gives short answers and then turns away." Gajeel let out a grunted laugh.

"Maybe she's finally grown some common sense and has gotten over your sorry, stripping ass," he said. Gray rolled his eyes. He was right in thinking Gajeel wouldn't be any help.

"I just wanted to know if she said anything about me on the mission. If I did anything wrong."

"No, she didn't say a word about you. I get that it's a bit weird, but I couldn't care less," he said, taking another drink. Gray shook his head and turned away to head back to the table.

"Where'd Juvia go?" he asked the others.

"She left a bit ago. Said she just had somewhere to be," Natsu said.

"Did you do something to her, Gray?" Lucy asked.

"Did she say I did?" Gray asked quickly, almost too eagerly.

"No… She was just acting strange towards you." Great. Still nothing. He groaned. Really, it's only been a day that she's acted like this, and they haven't even interacted very much. Though, of course, lack of interaction was also the issue. Still, he shouldn't be making such a big deal about it. Rather than explaining what was going on, he left, deciding he would make Juvia tell him firsthand.

First, he went to her apartment, knocking and even trying to impersonate Gajeel in hopes of getting her to open the door. Unfortunately, she must not have been home. He was glad nobody was around to witness his impression.

Next, he tried Fairy Hills. Even though Juvia had moved out, he knew she would still frequent the place to hang out with some of the girls, but Laki informed him that she hadn't been there for a while.

The third place he tried was all along the river that ran through Magnolia, walking almost the entire length of it before heading back in the other direction. No sign of Juvia.

 _Why would she be mad at me? What could I have possibly done in the time between yesterday and today that would piss her off so much?_ Gray thought

 _Maybe she's just tired of waiting for you, you dumbass_.

 _Unlikely. Shut the fuck up._

 _Very likely._

Gray groaned, scrubbing at his face to try to clear his conflicted mind. When he looked up, he realized where his feet had brought him.

Lamia Scale.

 _No._

 _She wouldn't._

 _Lyon weirded her out._

 _Right?_

Swallowing thickly, the ice mage lift a hand and knocked on the door, and it opened. Thankfully, not by Lyon himself. Instead, he was made to look down to see who answered.

"Oh, Gray! What are you doing here at this hour?" Chelia said, violet eyes shining brightly.

"Uh, hey, Chelia. Sorry, I know it's late, but… wait, what time is it?"

"About 11:30, why?"

"What are you still doing here, then? Shouldn't you be home?"

"I'm staying here tonight. I mean, _someone_ has to answer the door for people who come at weird hours."

"Uh-huh… Right. Anyway, has Juvia been here at all?" he asked, looking into the guild hall, but it was dark and empty.

"Juvia…?" Chelia's eyes then narrowed. She crossed her arms and looked away, nose up. "No. She hasn't. And that's a good thing. Lyon-"

"Great, thanks, that's all I needed to know," he said before taking off. He wasn't sure where she could be, but decided to head back to Magnolia to check her apartment again. This time, when he knocked, the light beside the door turned on and he heard locks being undone. The door opened, and there Juvia stood, hair slightly a mess and wearing only a shirt that dropped mid-thigh (wait… was that _his_ shirt?). She must have been sleeping.

"Gray? What are you doing here?" she asked, blinking in surprise.

"Juvia," Gray breathed, relief flooding his body. "Can I come in?" She eyed him for a moment before moving out of the way and Gray went in. When he heard the door close, he turned back to face her.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, returning to a more cold demeanor.

"First, where have you been? I've been looking for you for hours!" Gray said. Slight shock returned to her features.

"Gray's been… looking for Juvia?" she said quietly.

"Forget that - I wanna know what your deal is. Why have you been so cold to me today?" he asked. He saw Juvia glance away and followed her eyes to the clock.

11:57

Was there some other holiday she discovered? Did he have to make it up to her in under three minutes? No, that can't be it. Right?

"Juvia, what did I do wrong? I can't make it up to you if you won't tell me!" he said. Juvia crossed her arms and cast her eyes downward.

"Juvia… Juvia does not…" her voice was soft and Gray had to strain his ears to hear her. "She…"

" _What_ , Juvia?" Gray nearly shouted, growing impatient. The water mage swallowed thickly, tightening her arms around herself before looking up at him.

"Juvia does not like Gray anymore," she said simply. Gray's eyes widened.

 _What?_

"Juvia-"

"She… she is over you, Gray."

"You… what? Why?" he asked, his voice coming out choked, and Juvia winced. It was hardly visible, but Gray saw it.

"Juvia was… tired of waiting. She has moved on."

"To who? Lyon?" Gray asked, voice rising as anger bloomed within him.

"N-no! She-"

"Then who?!"

"Nobody! Juvia has just moved on from Gray!" Gray shook his head, running a hand through his hair as he tried desperately to figure out what to say. It couldn't all be over. Could it?

"Look, Juvia," he said, stepping closer to her, "I'm sorry. I… I kept you waiting and never gave you a straight answer and I shouldn't have done that. I get why you'd want to move on, but… But I just can't let you! Not now," he said, grabbing her arms. Her eyes went wide, then darted to the clock and back to him again.

11:58

"Juvia… I should have told you this a long time ago, but I was stubborn. I like you. I _really_ like you. More than I probably should, but I do. I like when you're near and talking to me and saying how much you missed me. I like when you grab my arm and hold yourself close to me. I like everything about you and I…" Gray lowered his head and his eyes were hidden under dark fringe. "And I'm too late… And that's my fault. I'm sorry, Juvia. I realize now it's not fair of me to tell you this once you've finally moved on, but I'm not exactly selfless."

"Gray…" He looked up at her again and Juvia swore her heart shattered at his broken expression.

"I know I said I couldn't let you move on, but now I realize I need to. I'm sorry. Goodbye, Juvia," he said quietly, then tore himself away and turned, opened the door, and left. Juvia glanced at the clock again, her heart racing.

11:59

Gray was cursing himself as he left her apartment. Had he not been such an ass, he would have her now. But instead he held too tightly to his selfish pride and had kept his mouth shut about his feelings toward her. And now he was paying the price.

And it hurt like a bitch.

He heard a bell tower in the distance, signaling midnight. This is the first day of what would now be his new hell in a life without Juvia by his side. After her being in it for so long, he didn't know how he was going to settle back into a life before her.

"Gray!" He stopped dead in his tracks at the voice in the distance and turned around to see who had called for him, but before he could focus in on anything, he was tackled to the ground. Looking down at what was wrapped around him, he saw a mess of blue hair.

"Juvia?" he breathed. She lift her head, smiling brightly at him with tears glistening in her eyes. "Juvia, I thought-"

"Happy April Fools!" she shouted with a jovial giggle, tightening her hold on him. Gray furrowed his brows.

"April… what?" What the hell was she on about? She was just telling him that she was over him and had no intention of looking back! Now -

Oh.

"What?!" Gray shouted as realization settled in, but Juvia only laughed happily. "Are you kidding me?!"

"Nope!" Juvia said with a breathtaking smile.

"It was a joke? All of it?"

"Yup!" Gray's head fell back against the concrete sidewalk, but he ignored the pain. She was pranking him?

"You made me believe you were over me," he said, trying hard to keep his voice level.

"That was the point." Gray couldn't believe it. He didn't know whether to yell at her for what she did, or to rejoice that it wasn't true. When he found his arms wrapping over her back to keep her to his chest, he had his answer.

"Juvia… About what I said -" Juvia raised up a little and pressed a finger to his lips, silencing him with a warm smile.

"It's all right, Gray. Juvia does not expect you to say anything about it. This was a joke she decided to play. She didn't do it to force you into making a decision."

"No, I needed you to do it," he said, sitting up with her in his lap. She blinked at him. "I meant what I said, Juvia. Every word of it. I wasn't exactly sure about what I wanted before, but now I know as though it were the clearest thing in my life. I want to be with you, Juvia. Even if I wasn't losing you, it still felt like it, and I'll be damned if I go through that again."

"Juvia didn't mean to hurt Gray," she said, looking worried. He placed a hand on her jaw and stroked her cheek with his thumb, smiling lightly at her.

"You didn't hurt me. Well… Okay, you sort of did, but - hey, don't start crying! I'm saying that you gave me a wake-up call. You made me realize my feelings and got me to stop hiding from them. I can't say it was a very conventional way, but… Well, not much is conventional around here, really." Juvia gave him a watery smile, then threw her arms around his neck, shoving his face to her chest and hugging him tightly.

"April Fools is now Juvia's favorite day! She is so happy!"

"Juvia," Gray said, voice muffled against her bosom as he struggled against her. However, he had really missed her touch and excitement all day, and let her have her moment because he was still having his own, and was also giving himself time to process all of what happened.

Gray managed to push her away enough to look at her, and found himself unable to stop smiling. She cupped his face with her hands, let out a sob of a laugh, and surged forward crashing her lips to his own in an eager and excited kiss. He chuckled against her lips and pressed a hand to the back of her head to return the gesture. His other hand wrapped around her waist, and he then realized that she was still only in his shirt.

"Juvia, what the hell are you doing running around dressed like this?" he said when he pulled away. Juvia pouted softly.

"Juvia needed to catch up to you at midnight. She didn't have time to change. You _did_ wake her up, after all," she accused. Gray moved her off of him and got up, pulling her up along with him. He then took off his long coat and draped it over her shoulders to prevent anyone else out at this hour getting a look at her dressed in such a way. Juvia smiled at him and took his hand, and he squeezed hers in return.

"Let's get you home. It's late," he said, and began walking her back to her apartment.

"Will Gray stay with Juvia tonight?" Juvia asked quietly, and Gray looked down at her with a light smile.

"If you think I'm leaving after that crazy stunt you pulled, you've got another thing coming," he said, and Juvia practically squealed and ran the rest of the way, dragging Gray in tow.


End file.
